Virtual Network Routing Isolation via Outer IP Encapsulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional virtualized network systems fail to adequately provide isolation between virtual networks when implementing a tunneling protocol, leading to issues such as transient loops and scaling problems due to the need for individual configuration of intermediate routers.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a mapping component to associate data packets with virtual networks based on tags, a routing component to forward packets using specific routing tables, and an encapsulation component to encode routing domain information into the outer source IP field, allowing intermediate routers to ignore this information and reducing the need for extensive configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a tunneling protocol is implemented to forward data packets between physical routers in a virtualized network system, then data forwarding capability is improved, but isolation between virtual networks deteriorates leading to transient loops and scaling problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism (routing domain information encoded in outer source IP field) that acts as a mediator between the tunneling protocol and virtual network isolation requirements. This intermediary allows intermediate routers to forward packets without needing to understand or configure virtual network-specific routing information, thereby maintaining isolation while enabling forwarding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the routing information by creating separate routing tables for different virtual networks and using routing domain information to associate packets with specific virtual networks. This segmentation ensures that routing decisions for one virtual network do not interfere with others, maintaining isolation while enabling independent forwarding paths.
2Reliability
If individual configuration of intermediate routers is performed to maintain virtual network isolation, then isolation between virtual networks is improved, but device complexity and scaling capability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts virtual network-specific routing information from the packet handling process of intermediate routers. By encoding routing domain information in the outer source IP field and removing the need for intermediate routers to maintain per-virtual-network routing tables, the complexity is taken out of the intermediate router configuration while preserving isolation through the encapsulation mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes intermediate routers universal by enabling them to handle multiple virtual network traffic without specific configuration for each virtual network. The single routing table in intermediate routers can route traffic for all virtual networks based on the outer IP addresses, while the inner routing domain information maintains virtual network-specific isolation requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and techniques for forwarding a data packet between network components in a virtualized network system are presented. Virtual machines in each virtual network in the virtualized network system are mapped to a unique routing table. Internet protocol (IP) addresses of virtual machines in a virtual network can overlap with IP addresses of virtual machines in another virtual network. A data packet is associated with a particular virtual network based on a tag stored in the data packet. As such, the data packet is forwarded based on a particular routing table associated with the particular virtual network. Additionally, routing domain information can be encoded into an outer source IP field of the data packet at the beginning of an IP tunnel. Furthermore, the routing domain information in the outer source IP field can be used to forward the data packet at the end of the IP tunnel.